


Frozen Heart, Warm Hands

by Kuai_Liangs_Sweet_Ass



Category: Mortal Kombat (Video Games), Mortal Kombat - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Antagonism, Fake Marriage, Family Fluff, Fluff, Kids trying to be assassins, Lin Kuei, Precious Family, Protective Older Brothers, Swearing, Violence, question on views
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-17
Updated: 2020-04-21
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:08:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23708125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kuai_Liangs_Sweet_Ass/pseuds/Kuai_Liangs_Sweet_Ass
Summary: “So, you’re the assholes who killed our mother?” He asked casually, once he knew the doctor was gone. “Not even an hour old and you’ve already had your first kill.” He reached forward, gently pressing his finger against the leathery, yet obviously fragile forehead on the boy. “I could kill you.” He whispered. “I should. You’re weak, you’re nothing. Maybe I will. It’ll be relieving, knowing your weakness won’t taint the Lin Kuei.”Okay, so this is kinda a spinoff of my other work (swear I’m working on it, but I was influenced by another work I read and it gave me this idea.) Where Bi-Han has to step up and be a good older brother to twins, raising them in the harsh life of the Lin Kuei.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 17





	1. Little Fingers and Little Toes

Bi-Han was no idiot, he knew what babies were. They are, as he learned, tiny humans. Not quite his age, they were much smaller. So when his mother revealed that she was pregnant, he only nodded and moved on with his life. It didn’t matter to him, his father encouraged him to stay away from her anyways. To avoid attachments to either his mother or the new sibling. It was easy, as he maybe saw his mother once a month after he moved to the Lin Kuei temple to start his training at the ripe age of ten, at his father’s insistence. Bi-Han trained quietly and would often keep to himself, since the Lin Kuei all but banished any sorts of bonds between clansmen. Cold respect and fear was a shared trait among the clan, and Bi-Han decided he would become the most feared assassin in their ranks. He would be more silent than night, and more deadly than dawn. He heavily believed that he needed no one, and no one would be able to rely on him. He believed that he would never help anyone, only himself first and foremost. That he was an unfeeling tool of the Lin Kuei, ready to cut down anyone in his way. That is, until they came into the picture.

Bi-Han stood out of the maternity ward alone. At thirteen years old, he already felt like an adult. His father died only days ago, victim to a trap set by the Tengu clan. His death hardly bothered Bi-Han, they weren’t close anyways. Even if he had lived, Bi-Han would have killed him anyways, to prove his own worth. Bi-Han’s thoughts were interrupted when one of the doctors stepped out, a portly balding man who seemed to have issues keeping his glasses up because of the sweat the beaded his face, giving him an almost greasy appearance. The man looked around and spotted Bi-Han, lowering his face mask and allowing the young assassin to view his full face, which occupied a much more mournful expression. 

“Hello, I’m Doctor Li Wei. You are Zho Jiao-long, correct?” Bi-Han nodded mutely, already hating the fake name he was given. It was a bland, common name that made him feel as if he were a normal, unsuspecting citizen and not an up and coming deadly assassin of the Lin Kuei. 

“I’m.. sorry to say this, but your mother passed, giving birth. Do you have any other legal guardians son? One I could, perhaps talk to?” Bi-Han opened his mouth to deny any relatives and just leave, when a deep accented voice beat him to the punch.

“Indeed he does.” Bi-Han could feel the prickles on the back of his neck raise when he felt a heavy hand rest on his shoulder. He didn’t even hear Hydro arrive until they had spoken up. He didn’t dare turn around, and kept his focus on the nervous doctor. 

“She died?” Hydro asked bluntly, narrowing his eyes. “And what of the child? Did the child survive?” He tightened his grip on Bi-Han’s shoulder, to prevent the boy from escaping. It was clear that he wanted him to stay, but he was unsure as to why.

“Erm.. actually sir, there was three..” the doctor replied meekly. “Two survived.. Unfortunately, the third was the smallest and could not survive the birthing process. But the other two a very healthy.” He added, looking more optimistic. Bi-Han was secretly happy the third died, especially if his now two siblings were most likely to join the Lin Kuei. His guess, they would be raised from birth in the Lin Kuei, unlike himself. But he held his tongue, and instead opted to stare at the floor. 

“Take the boy to meet his siblings.” Hydro ordered, their tone holding no room for argument for either Bi-Han or the doctor. And to solidify their point, they pushed the thirteen year old closer. “Move boy, I will fill out documents.” Was their final order before they turned to talk to the receptionist near by. The young cryomancer bit back a snarl and turned to the portly doctor, crossing his arms impatiently. Shuddering, the man led him into the maternity ward, the walls the same light peach color as the reception room. Faintly, Bi-Han could hear the combined screams of birthing mothers and the walls of new born babies. But they didn’t matter to him, and he kept his gaze straight ahead. They reached a small room, based in the corner of the hallway. The doctor anxiously glanced back at him, then opened the door for the boy, allowing him to step in first. Bi-Han’s cold eyes scoped the room. They were alone, and his mothers and third siblings corpses were not present. He guessed they assumed the sight of them would make him upset, the ignorant morons. 

“You can go.” He told the doctor harshly, glaring at him. “I don’t need you breathing down my neck. Go find the man and bring him here.” He didn’t even let the doctor say anything, turning and moving closer to the small beds, containing two bundles. One in pink, the other in blue. Boy and girl. Both were ugly, their faces flushed a ruddy color, wrinkled like old men. 

“So, you’re the assholes who killed our mother?” He asked casually, once he knew the doctor was gone. “Not even an hour old and you’ve already had your first kill.” He reached forward, gently pressing his finger against the leathery, yet obviously fragile forehead on the boy. “I could kill you.” He whispered. “I should. You’re weak, you’re nothing. Maybe I will. It’ll be relieving, knowing your weakness won’t taint the Lin Kuei.” Bi-Han pressed down a little harder, causing the baby boy to squirm and open his eyes, staring up at the young assassin like he understood what he said and was offended. Bi-Han paused, staring curiously at the warm brown eyes, tilting his head. 

“Stop looking at me like that.” He hissed, pulling his hand away. The boy tilted his head, then gave Bi-Han an almost toothless grin, letting out baby gibberish. Hostility forgotten, the boy cooed louder, seemingly overjoyed to be in Bi-Han’s presence. It only confused the assassin. Hesitantly, he rubbed the baby’s cheek, inciting more giggles and writhing. 

“I’m surprised someone actually likes you. But then again, he hardly knows you.” Hydro’s booming voice interrupted whatever was going on, and scared Bi-Han, causing him to leap away from the infants and turn to face the notorious adult Lin Kuei assassin. The boy scowled and crossed his arms. 

“What’s going to happen to them? Are they... just going to be at the temple?” Hydro only sighed and looked at the babies. They were small, too small for comfort. The assassin didn’t like that their heads were smaller than the adult’s hand. They were sure they could grab one of the heads and smother the baby if they tried. Then they glanced at the abnormally violent child, pursing their lips as they pursued down their own horrifying thoughts. 

“For now,” they started out, almost hesitant, “I shall watch over them. Until they are..” Hydro paused, trying to remember the Grandmaster’s words. “Until they are big enough and do not need me. Then the responsibility of care falls to you until they are 15 and are considered adults in the eyes of the Grandmaster.” Hydro could already see the indignation in Bi-Han’s eyes, the growing fury as he realized he would be settled with two disgusting babies he didn’t want. “It is the Grandmaster’s orders.” They said swiftly, before Bi-Han could open his mouth and start complaining. “And do you dare speak against what the Grandmaster’s orders? That is treason, and call for death.” They warned the boy, eyes narrowing. Intelligently, Bi-Han shut his mouth, but didn’t stop fuming. The assassin let their eyes wander over to the babies, innocent tiny babies, whom hardly knew what their fate had in store. 

“Small.” Hydro murmured, reaching down to pick up the small girl, making sure to cradle her head. She yawned, her small pink lips forming a little ‘O’ shape before she closed it again, snuggling closer to Hydro’s warmth. “Your mother picked names for them. They’re registered with her surname. Do you wish to know what she chose?” They asked, looking up at the boy. Bi-Han shrugged mutely, staring holes into the baby boy. 

“Don’t have much of a choice.” He muttered sullenly. “You will end up telling me whether I care to know or not. So tell me.” Hydro’s eyes narrowed and Bi-Han knew instantly that he would be running laps around the temple as soon as they got back. But he did not stand down, glaring up at the adult assassin. They had a small stare down, the babies temporarily forgotten.

“Watch your tone boy.” Hydro warned, voice becoming dangerously low. “Or else.” They didn’t expand on what would happen, instead looking back down at the girl. “Kuai Liang and Xuē are their names.” They finally said, setting her back down. The girl hardly seemed to care, as she was already fast asleep. Bi-Han snorted at the meanings of their names. Snow and Quick Cooling. Of course they would have names that had some hint towards their possible affiliation with cryomancy. 

“Okay.” He said dully. “When do we go home?” He asked, peeking up at Hydro. “Before they ask questions?” They nodded. “Take the girl and follow me.” They ordered, picking up the boy. “Make sure you cradle her head like this.” They added, showing Bi-Han how they were holding her twin. “It is important, they have fragile necks.” The adult led Bi-Han through the bare hallways, walking with a stride that wouldn’t bring attention to them, like he had a purpose. It didn’t take him long to navigate them back to the waiting room, and even less time for them to actually leave the hospital. They led Bi-Han towards a more secluded part of woods near the hospital, setting their hand on Bi-Han’s shoulder. Sighing, Hydro closed their eyes and manipulated the water around them, incasing all four and transporting them back to the Lin Kuei temple, where the twins would start their new life as assassins.


	2. Soft Hearts Make Poor Killers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I deleted this chapter and decided to go with a different route because why not?

“Bi-Han, Im tired.” Liang’s voice rang through the training ground, with thankfully only two other people hearing it. The nine year old stared up at his brother pathetically, trying to muster up the energy to continue the training Bi-Han insisted his sister and himself do along with their daily Lin Kuei training. Xuē wasn’t doing much better, legs wobbly as she struggled to keep upright. Bi-Han stared at them intently, grinding his teeth.

As much as the young man hated weakness, he knew he couldn’t completely fault them for being tired. He wasn’t even doing shit like this at their age, and he expected them to do double the work. “Fine.” He said harshly. “Enough for today. Let’s meditate.” Both children let out soft sighs of relief as they kneeled in front of Bi-Han, bowing their heads at the same time. The elder brother found it oddly creepy, but made no comments as he slid to his own knees, hands resting on his thighs. But Bi-Han didn’t close his eyes, and instead gave himself the moment to study the twins. They were tiny, fragile things that were forced upon him, and he grew to actually.. care about them. And they started to give him more perspective of the Lin Kuei. And it made him feel almost like he was blind, to not notice every little detail. Everyone was to forget their past lives, forego their identity to become shadowed killers of the night. It was easy for Bi-Han, but he saw the inner conflict in many warriors. And then there was Liang and Xuē, who have only known the temple rules, the Grandmaster’s iron fist. Just like Sektor, the Grandmaster’s asshole of a son, who seemed to make it his mission to make everyone miserable. He wasn’t much older than the twins, yet he was as savage as Bi-Han, who’s had eleven years more of training, six more years of actually going on missions and killing. 

Bi-Han sighed, his shoulders slumping as he broke his own chain of thoughts. The action caused Liang to peek up, eyes wide as if he were worried he irritated his sometimes volatile older brother. “Bi-Han? Are you okay?” He asked, concern lacing into the boys voice. Dread wormed it’s way into the elder cryomancer’s chest, looking down at his tiny brother. So innocent and trusting, he adored Bi-Han, even if the man was cruel at times. In his eyes, Bi-Han was the best Lin Kuei and he constantly looked up to him. 

“Yea. Just shut up and keep meditating.” Bi-Han snapped gruffly, narrowing his pale eyes. He didn’t close his eyes until he no longer saw his baby brothers chocolate brown eyes peering up at him, and when his head bowed low. Only then did Bi-Han bow his head and close his eyes to begin what is supposed to be relaxing meditation. His eyes sprang open when he heard a soft thud, like a small body hitting the ground. Xuē was curled up on herself in a tight ball, eyes still shut. 

She. Fell. Asleep. While. Meditating.

Bi-Han stared at her younger sister, stunned at how quick she could just pass out like that. It seemed Liang was surprised too, and the boy scooted closer to his sister, prodding her side. “Hey.” He whispered. “Hey. Wake up. Bi-Han is going to be maaaaad.” Bi-Han could already feel his eye twitch, irritated that his younger sister would dare fall asleep while they were training. And from the looks of it, she would be out for some time. Sighing, the elder cryomancer stood up, bending over so he could scoop her up in his arms.

“Let’s go.” He muttered darkly to Liang, and started walking forward without hearing a confirmation that the boy did indeed, listen to him. He didn’t need to look back, as the scurried patter of small feet behind him told him his brother was listening to his direction. Bi-Han made his way through the familiar hallways of the Lin Kuei temple, something his siblings had yet to learn. They hardly strayed from his side and Bi-Han made an effort to keep them hidden away in his room. Because of this, he had to personally train them, or even have the teachers come into his room themselves. It was an invasion of privacy in Bi-Han’s mind, but ten times better than letting them train with their fellow students who were twice, even three times their age and more than double their size. 

He let his eyes stray down to his sister, curled up and small in his arms. She reminded him of glass, delicate and easy to break. The thought brought him back to when they were in the hospital, shortly after their birth. The way he could just press down on their heads, and there would be no resistance. Death would be quick, maybe not painless. “Open the door.” He ordered, once they reached his room. It seemed that it didn’t take them very long to reach. Or it did, and Bi-Han was too stuck in his own thoughts to notice. Kuai Liang stepped around him and pushed the door open, stepping inside quickly to avoid anymore of Bi-Han’s ire. He closed it behind his elder brother, sucking in a deep breath as he listened to Bi-Han’s heavier footsteps until they paused. Then, some shuffling could be heard, which prompted Kuai Liang to turn around, to figure out what his elder sibling was doing. It should have been obvious; Bi-Han tucking Xuē to sleep. 

“Come here Liang.” He rasped, feeling his brothers eyes on him. There was a pause, then the soft pitter patter as Kuai Liang made his way to his brothers side, eyes wide with worry. “Go to sleep.” He muttered, not looking up.

“But-“

“I said go to bed Liang.” Bi-Han snapped, turning to stare his brother down. “Do I need to repeat myself? Go. To. Bed. You’re tired and you’ll do no good to the Lin Kuei if you’re tired. Now sleep.” The boy was hesitant in his movements, eyeing his brother as he moved around to the other side of the bed roll, curling up next to his sister. He blinked up at Bi-Han slowly, then turned on his side, so his back faced Bi-Han. Bi-Han just sat there by their side, staring quietly until he heard Kuai Liang’s breathing even out, his body going limp. 

Reaching forward, the elder cryomancer brushed his fingers against Xuē’s cheek, side of her face and her forehead. To him, she felt normal. To someone else, she’d feel like a corpse. Press hard enough, and he’d swear he could feel the blood pumping through her veins. He pulled away just as the door swung open, and Hydro stepped inside, grunting at Bi-Han. 

“Sub-Zero.” They greeted, moving closer, their eyes narrowing. “Hmpf. Glad to see they are still alive. Guess you can do more than just kill, but I might be speaking too soon.” Bi-Han, for his part, only stiffened, but didn’t rise to the jibe. He stood up to face Hydro, expression blank.

“Do you need anything Hydro?” The older assassin cocked their head to the side, regarding Bi-Han quietly. “Not really. I just came to check on you. More importantly, them.” Hydro nodded towards the children, their mask hiding any expression they might have. Bi-Han only snorted at their remark, narrowing his eyes. 

“I know you better than that Hydro. What is your true intention in being here? You do not just come by for a social call.” 

“What if I changed what I do? What then, Bi-Han?”

“A leopard does not change its spots and neither do you.” He snapped irritably, flinching when Kuai Liang let out a soft sigh, turning to his other side. Both assassins stared at the boy intently, but he made no other sounds. Turning back to Hydro, Bi-Han curled his lips, baring his teeth in a sneer. “What do you really want?” The hydromancer shrugged mulishly, not answering right away.

“Don’t you think it’s time to send them to class?” They finally asked. “It is time they truly began integrating into the Lin Kuei. The Grandmaster has been more than patient with you, but even he grows weary of waiting. They are close to the age of you, when you first joined.” They pointed out, ignoring Bi-Han’s crossed arms and obvious discomfort. “You cannot keep babying them forever. It is better sooner, than later that they learn. You cannot protect them all your life, especially when they have to do their first mission.” 

The cryomancer looked away sharply, glaring holes into the wall closest to him. Hydro was correct, as always. He knew damn well that the twins needed to become better accustomed to Lin Kuei traditions, to the men they would be fighting with. They needed to know more than what he could possibly teach, and he wasn’t sure how to cope with that. Ask him nine years ago, he would have insisted they be put down, as they would be a weakness. Guess he was right, but they were his weakness. And he didn’t mind.

“Tomorrow. Before I change my fucking mind. You will take them. Make the arrangements with the Grandmaster.” He finally said, sounding dismissive. Almost defeated, like this was one fight he knew he could never win, no matter how much he tried. “Just.. Ugh, never mind. Go. I can’t look at you right now.” Luckily for him, Hydro was much more lenient, though he would pay for his disrespect in training, where the other would show absolutely no mercy to him for the next few training sessions. Without Much of a fight, Hydro stood and left him alone, the only sound made was the door opening and closing. 

Bi-Han let out another defeated sound, staring helplessly at the twins as the slept, oblivious to the inner struggles he felt. On one hand, he wanted them to struggle, to almost suffer and grow stronger, and on another hand he wanted to protect them, to always be there for his siblings. They were all he had, they made him feel almost.. Human, and not some killing machine. They provided more to him than just an insatiable bloodlust, a need only gratified by grisly massacres. He licked his lips, kneeling by his sister. She hadn’t moved once, so he pressed his fingers to her neck, just under her jaw. Under his finger tip was her pulsing lifeblood, an indication that she hadn’t passed. A relief, but he couldn’t find himself wanting to pull away. Instead, he idly stroked his thumb against her pale throat, his own breath hitched. “I don’t want you to join the Lin Kuei.” He confessed. “Neither of you. I would rather you run away, or even die at this point. Anything to not be like me.” But they didn’t respond. They never did, not when he spoke to them while they slept. And that was fine, he didn’t want to worry them anyways. They had enough, worrying about becoming Lin Kuei themselves.


	3. Tiny Hands are Always the Warmest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter! More to get this done for bigger and better things. Cheers luvs!

Bi-Han woke up early, much earlier than the twins. He quickly got dressed, then woke them up before he knew Hydro would arrive to pick them up. It was simple, waking them up, prodding them to get dressed. The twins listened to him fairly obediently, especially when they were tired and pliable. He watched his sister closer, concerned for her future more than Liang’s. To his knowledge, women were forbidden from joining the Lin Kuei, so he could not comprehend why the Grandmaster didn’t simply demand for her to be killed or drop her off at another village. No, he allowed her to stay and be trained, and that’s what worried Bi-Han the most; not knowing what he had planned. 

He was brought out of his thoughts when Xuē slowly walked up to him, offering her hair brush in a silent question. Quirking an eyebrow briefly, the elder cryomancer accepted it, beginning the normal morning ritual-when he was there that is- and brush his younger sister’s hair. Thick and dark, he silently admired it, knowing she would grow up to eventually become a beautiful young woman, even if she would be hidden in the shadows of the Lin Kuei. Bi-Han’s eyes flickered over to Kuai Liang, who was currently putting on his armor. He amused Bi-Han the most, always demanding independence, but was quick to flee to Bi-Han’s side if something went wrong for him. Usually when Sektor turned his gaze to the twins or if the Grandmaster happened to be on his occasional stroll of the temple. 

Xuē was his opposite in that likes, always clinging to Bi-Han, but quick to rise to a challenge like Sektor. It was humorous, watching the tiny girl stare him down and equally satisfying to watch the Grandmaster’s spoiled brat be taken off guard each time. 

By the time he was done brushing her hair, Xuē pulled away, so she could braid her own hair. It was one thing she was quick to learn, was to braid her hair. A sharp knock at the door brought a frown to Bi-Han’s face, which deepened more as Hydro stepped in. The twin’s expression’s brightened simultaneously. The elder assassin nodded to them, then looked to Bi-Han. 

“I will be taking them now.” They informed their fellow, not even looking down at the twins as they exchanged looks of confusion. But before either could speak up, Bi-Han regarded them coldly. 

“You will be training with the rest of the Lin Kuei. No arguments, I won’t listen to them. Now go.” For good measure, the elder cryomancer fixed them with a harsh glare. Tails tucked between legs, the twins slunked away after shooting Bi-Han forlorn glances. He didn’t relax until the door was shut behind them, sighing softly. He can’t coddle them, they had to learn. Or, that’s what he repeated to himself, convince himself that he meant it.

He waited a while for them to be gone, then slowly got ready, for his own mission. A mission he didn’t warn the other two about. No, he would let Hydro break it to them. After all, he hated to be the bearer of bad news, and they would have to learn that he won’t always be there for them. In his mind, this was step one of training; distance oneself from family. He was their older brother, but he is also their superior. And the twins must learn that one the hard way. Gathering his satchel, Bi-Han quietly left, thinking about the warmth of the twin’s hands, and how they seemed to melt his frozen heart. 

—————————————-

Kuai Liang stifled a yawn, neck craned over the parchment he was writing on. The Lin Kuei’s rules, something he had to memorize. Occasionally, he would peek over at his twin, who seemed to be working sluggishly. She had something on her mind, her eye would flicker towards the door, like she expected it to fly open. He made a mental note to ask her later, in the safety of their room or perhaps when they were sparring together under Bi-Han’s watchful eye. He never realized that the classes would go on for a majority of the day, or how much writing and reading they would have to get done. Currently, they were learning about their own culture, the Chinese language, history, geographical map out and important buildings and places. Each country is to be thoroughly studied, giving them huge advantages in each mission no matter where it was located. But the tiny assassin understood none of it, and happily complied in each lesson. Despite the teachers harsh methods, he liked learning. Each minute made him feel more intelligent, and he couldn’t wait to tell Bi-Han everything. 

Once class was over and they were all dismissed, Liang was quick to take his sisters hand in his own and lead her away. She made no move to talk, so neither did he. They walked to the library, where Hydro would meet them. Standing where the man said he would meet them was a girl. She couldn’t have been much older than the twins, but she stood there, head bowed, her silvery hair covering her face. Or, Liang assumed this child was a girl. There weren’t many men with long hair, and they usually kept it out of their faces. And she was slim, like Xuē, so he just assumed.

“I don’t recognize her.” Liang whispered in Xuē’s ear. “Do you?” An unlikely chance, but it never hurt to ask. His sister surprisingly knew a lot of things, even before he did. She turned her head to the strange child, blue eyes narrowing with curiosity as she peered at her. “No.” She mumbled back, freeing her hand and taking a bold step closer. Kuai Liang stayed where he stood, shyness creeping up. He looked around nervously, suddenly aware of the eyes burning holes into them. Shivering, the boy tried to put on an expression of indifference, like Bi-Han taught him, but failed miserably. He was a coward and everyone knew it.

“Excuse me? Who are you?” Xuē inquired, poking the girl’s shoulder. Immediately, the girl’s head shot up, staring Xuē down with fearful brown eyes. 

“Kdo jsi? Co chceš? Nedělám nic špatného!” He blurted out, taking a shaky step back. Xuē stared at him blankly, tilting her head and what he just said. She wasn’t sure, and it all sounded like gibberish to her. But now she did know that this was no girl, but a little boy who just happened to have long flowing locks like a girl. 

“I.. don’t understand anything you are saying. Can’t you speak mandarin? What are you saying?”

“Nerozumím ti. Co říkáš? Kde jsem?” Xuē let out an impatient huff, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes. 

“That’s not helping! Speaking that language does no help!” The boy flinched at her tone, hurt crossing his expression. Liang moves closer to his sister, peering over at the boy. 

“English?” He asked. “You.. speak English?” He spoke slowly, thinking hard at the words he actually knew in that language. “Can you... spoke in there? Erm.. this?” The boy paused, blinking at him owlishly. 

“English? Yes! I speak! I speak!” He looked slightly happier, though Xuē didn’t share the sentiment. She hated English. It was terribly difficult for her, and she would rather speak Mandarin. It was simple to her, less crude. 

“Name?” She asked the boy, tilting her head. She spoke in a calmer voice, so he wouldn’t be as scared. The boy regarded her, then gave her a tiny, hesitant smile. 

“Tomas... Vrbada.. and you?”

“Xuē.” She responded quietly.

“And I am Kuai Liang.” Liang spoke in a bright voice, happy that the boy’s hesitance melted away. “It is good to meet.” He offered his hand, which the boy took.

“I am glad you three are becoming aquatinted.” Hydro rumbled behind them. They whirled around at the sound of their voice, while Tomas whimpered, moving behind Xuē. “Because you are to teach him Mandarin. Consider it a mission.” They blinked up at the older assassin, tilting their heads unanimously. “But.. we are....”

“Close to his age. Do you wish to disappoint Sub-Zero by saying no? No? Then you will accept what I say.” The twins peered at each other, then back the the boy called Tomas Vrbada, and sighed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rough translations, curtesy of Google Translate
> 
> Kdo jsi? Co chceš? Nedělám nic špatného! ~ Who are you? What do you want? I’m not doing anything wrong!
> 
> Nerozumím ti. Co říkáš? Kde jsem? ~ I do not understand you. What do you say? Where am I?


End file.
